How much does a man and van cost?

Across the UK, a man and van is usually charged by the hour, with one person and a van at the lower end and two people at the higher end. Most operators also set a minimum number of hours, commonly around three, so a very short job still costs that minimum.

Rates vary by region and by how big the van is. A quote should always tell you the hourly rate, the minimum hours, and whether travel time to and from the job is included, because that last one catches people out.

Crew size is the single biggest factor. A second person roughly doubles the hourly rate but can more than halve the time, so for anything heavy two people are often cheaper overall, not more expensive.

After that: how far apart the two addresses are, whether there are stairs or a lift, how close the van can park, whether anything needs dismantling, and how well packed you are when the crew arrives. A job where everything is boxed and ready loads in a fraction of the time.

Congestion and clean-air charges, parking suspensions and waiting time are usually extra. Ask whether they are included or added.

A man and van suits a few items, a single room, a part load or a flat move. Most firms charge it by the hour, so you carry the risk if the job runs long. MoveMate quotes a fixed price once we know the job instead, so there is no surprise bill.

A full house removal is quoted as a fixed price after a survey. That costs more up front but the price does not move on the day, which matters when you are also dealing with a completion date.

As a rough line: if you could not fit it in two or three van loads, get a removal quote instead.

A per-mile price is common when the two addresses are far apart, because the drive becomes most of the job. It is usually a minimum charge or a rate per mile, whichever is higher, and the rate rises with the size of the van.

Check which miles count. Some firms charge from their yard and back, others only for the distance between your two addresses. On a long move that difference can be larger than the gap between two hourly rates.

For a short move across town, per-mile pricing rarely helps, because loading and unloading take longer than the drive. That is where hourly rates and their minimums decide the bill.

With an hourly rate, you carry the risk. A lift that is out of order, a sofa that will not turn on the stairs or traffic on the way all add to the bill, and nobody knows the total until the end.

MoveMate gives a fixed price for man and van work once we know the job: what is moving, the distance, the access at each end and whether it needs one person or two. The price is agreed before anything is booked, so a slow day costs you nothing extra.

The trade-off is that the price depends on the details being right. Tell us about stairs, long carries and anything large, and the price you get is the price you pay.

The van decides what fits in one trip, and a bigger van usually costs more per hour or per mile. These are the vans we use, with their load space and weight: Small Van (1 × 1.2 × 1m, up to 400kg); SWB Van (2 × 1.2 × 1.2m, up to 800kg); MWB Van (3 × 1.2 × 1.7m, up to 1,300kg); LWB Van (3.6 × 1.2 × 1.8m, up to 1,100kg); XLWB Van (4 × 1.2 × 1.7m, up to 1,100kg); Luton Van (4 × 2 × 2m, up to 800kg).

A van that is too small means a second trip, which costs more than the bigger van would have. One that is too big can be hard to park on a narrow street. If you are not sure, describe what is moving and let the firm choose.

Get the hourly rate, the minimum hours, the crew size and what counts as chargeable time in writing. Two quotes with the same headline rate can differ by a lot once travel time and minimums are applied.

Check that goods in transit cover is included, and ask what happens if the job overruns.

Be wary of a rate well below everything else. It usually means one person where you needed two, or travel time billed separately.